Vivo iQOO 9 SE Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

Overview: The Vivo iQOO 9 SE is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers an impressive set of features and performance capabilities. With its sleek design, vibrant display, and powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset, this device stands out in its price range. The 6.62-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth and immersive viewing experience. The camera setup, featuring a 48MP primary sensor, captures stunning photos with great detail. With options for 8GB or 12GB of RAM and storage capacities of 128GB or 256GB, users can choose the variant that suits their needs. While the Vivo iQOO 9 SE lacks some flagship features like wireless charging, its competitive pricing makes it a compelling choice for budget-conscious consumers.

Design and Build Quality

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE boasts a sleek and premium design that is sure to catch the eye of smartphone enthusiasts. It has a glossy finish that adds to its aesthetic appeal, especially in the stunning Sunset Sierra shade. The physical appearance of the device is enhanced by its slim bezels and compact form factor, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The design elements of the iQOO 9 SE are well thought out, with attention to detail evident in the finishing touches. The back panel of the phone is smooth and adds to the premium look and feel. Additionally, the device is constructed using high-quality materials, ensuring durability and robustness. The fit and finish of the Vivo iQOO 9 SE are excellent, with no noticeable gaps or unevenness. The buttons and controls are placed ergonomically, allowing for easy access and operation. The frame of the phone adds to its sturdiness, providing a solid feel. Overall, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE excels in both design and build quality, offering a sleek and premium smartphone experience.

Display

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE boasts a 6.62-inch Super AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The screen provides vibrant and accurate colors, making visuals pop with impressive color vibrancy. With its high brightness levels, the display remains easily visible even under direct sunlight, ensuring good outdoor visibility.

The touch responsiveness of the display is smooth and precise, allowing for a seamless user experience. The device also features Gorilla Glass protection, which adds durability and resistance against scratches and accidental drops.

The pixel density of the display is excellent, resulting in sharp and detailed visuals. Moreover, the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and fluid animations, enhancing the overall user experience.

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE supports HDR (High Dynamic Range), offering a broader range of colors and improved contrast. This feature enhances the viewing experience, especially when streaming HDR content from platforms like Netflix or YouTube.

The display also offers wide viewing angles, allowing for comfortable viewing from various positions without significant color distortion. Additionally, the anti-reflective coating minimizes glare, making it easier to use the device in bright environments.

Other noteworthy features of the display include an always-on display option, a blue light filter for reduced eye strain, and adaptive brightness for automatic adjustment to ambient lighting conditions. Users can also calibrate the screen to their preferences for optimal color accuracy.

Overall, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE's display impresses with its size, resolution, vibrant colors, smooth touch responsiveness, and a range of features that enhance the viewing experience.

Performance

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset, which offers excellent performance for a mid-range smartphone. The chipset's CPU and GPU benchmarks reveal its capabilities in handling resource-intensive tasks, such as gaming. Speaking of gaming, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE excels in this area, providing a smooth and immersive gaming experience. The GPU's graphics scores are impressive, ensuring high-quality visuals and smooth gameplay. In terms of CPU benchmarks, the device showcases its processor's performance, enabling multitasking without any noticeable lag. App loading speeds are also commendable, contributing to a seamless and lag-free user experience. The Vivo iQOO 9 SE benefits from system optimization and efficient thermal management, ensuring that the device remains cool even during extended gaming sessions. Benchmark tests and scores consistently demonstrate the device's impressive performance metrics. The processor's efficiency combined with the GPU's efficiency make the Vivo iQOO 9 SE a capable device for both gaming and everyday usage. Overall, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE delivers exceptional performance across various aspects, making it a reliable choice for users seeking a mid-range smartphone with powerful performance capabilities.

Software and User Interface

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE runs on the Funtouch 12 operating system, which is based on Android 12. The software offers a user-friendly interface with a range of customization options. Users can personalize their home screen layout, choose from a variety of themes, and customize app icons. The Funtouch 12 also comes with several pre-installed apps, including Vivo's own apps such as iManager for device optimization and Smart Launcher for easy navigation. While the device does come with some pre-installed apps, commonly referred to as bloatware, they can be uninstalled or disabled if not needed, allowing users to free up storage space and customize their app selection. The overall software experience on the Vivo iQOO 9 SE is smooth and responsive, with minimal lag or stuttering. The interface is intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate through settings and access various features. Whether you're a tech-savvy user or someone who prefers a simple and straightforward interface, the Funtouch 12 software on the Vivo iQOO 9 SE offers a good balance of customization and user-friendliness.

Camera

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE boasts a triple-camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel primary camera. The camera captures images with high resolution and good sharpness, ensuring that details are well-preserved. The aperture and focal length of the camera allow for impressive low-light performance, making it suitable for night photography. The camera also features image stabilization, which helps in reducing blur and maintaining image quality, especially when shooting in challenging conditions or while recording videos.

In terms of image quality, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE excels in capturing natural colors and providing a good dynamic range. Whether it's daylight photography or indoor and outdoor scenes, the camera produces vibrant and well-balanced colors. The camera's sensor size contributes to enhanced low-light sensitivity, resulting in clearer and brighter images even in dimly lit environments. The device offers various camera features such as portrait mode, HDR, and panorama mode, allowing users to experiment with different photography styles.

When it comes to video recording capabilities, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE supports 4K video recording, ensuring high-resolution videos with excellent detail. The device also offers video stabilization, which helps in reducing shakiness and ensuring smoother footage. Additionally, slow-motion video and time-lapse modes provide creative options for capturing unique moments. The Vivo iQOO 9 SE supports multiple video formats, offering flexibility for users when sharing or editing their recorded videos.

Overall, the camera of the Vivo iQOO 9 SE delivers impressive image and video quality, making it a suitable choice for photography enthusiasts and content creators.

Battery Life

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE is equipped with a 4500mAh battery, which provides a decent battery life for day-to-day usage. It offers a good balance between power efficiency and performance, allowing users to rely on their device throughout the day without worrying about frequent recharging. The device supports fast charging technology, with a 66W charger included in the package. This allows for quick and convenient recharging, with the battery being fully charged in just 40 minutes. Unfortunately, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE does not support wireless charging, which may be a downside for some users who prefer the convenience of wireless charging options. Overall, the battery performance of the Vivo iQOO 9 SE is satisfactory, offering reliable battery backup and efficient charging capabilities.

Connectivity and Networking

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE offers a wide range of connectivity options to enhance the user experience. It supports 5G connectivity, allowing for faster download and upload speeds when connected to a compatible network. Users can enjoy seamless browsing, streaming, and gaming experiences with the high-speed data available through 5G.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE supports Wi-Fi standards such as 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of routers and providing fast and stable internet connections. Bluetooth is also available on the device, with the latest Bluetooth version (v5.2) ensuring efficient and reliable wireless communication with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.

For convenient and secure mobile payments, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE features NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. Users can easily make contactless payments using their device at compatible payment terminals.

The device is equipped with a USB-C port, which allows for fast charging and data transfer speeds. The USB-C port is becoming increasingly popular and is more convenient to use compared to older USB ports.

In terms of network compatibility, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE supports dual SIM functionality, allowing users to use two SIM cards simultaneously. This is convenient for those who need to separate personal and work numbers or for those who frequently travel internationally and need to use local SIM cards.

The Vivo iQOO 9 SE also supports GPS for accurate positioning and navigation. Users can easily find their way using various navigation apps available on the device.

Overall, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, ensuring users stay connected and enjoy a seamless mobile experience.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Vivo iQOO 9 SE to other related gadgets in the market, it's important to consider its features, specifications, performance, and pricing. Let's take a look at how it stacks up against its competitors.

In terms of market positioning, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE falls in the mid-range category, offering flagship-level specs at a more affordable price. It competes with devices like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, Realme GT Master Edition, and Samsung Galaxy A52.

In terms of performance, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE stands out with its Snapdragon 888 chipset, which provides powerful and smooth performance. This puts it on par with devices like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, which also features the same chipset.

When it comes to camera quality, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE's 48MP triple-camera setup produces impressive photos with accurate colors and details. However, it faces tough competition from devices like the Realme GT Master Edition, which boasts a 64MP camera and offers better camera capabilities.

In terms of pricing, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE is priced competitively, offering good value for money compared to its competitors. It is priced slightly higher than the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite but is more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy A52.

When considering the competitive landscape, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE has a competitive advantage with its flagship-level specs and affordable price point. Its unique features include a 120Hz refresh rate display and 66W fast charging support. These features set it apart from its competitors in the mid-range market.

Overall, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE offers a strong combination of performance, camera quality, and pricing, making it a competitive option in the mid-range smartphone market.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Vivo iQOO 9 SE is a compelling smartphone that offers a great balance of performance, display quality, and camera capabilities at an affordable price point. With its powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset, ample RAM and storage options, and a vibrant Super AMOLED display, it delivers a smooth and immersive user experience. The camera system captures impressive photos with good detail and color accuracy. While the battery life is decent, the fast charging capability ensures quick recharging. The Vivo iQOO 9 SE is a solid choice for users looking for a feature-packed device without breaking the bank.